The U.S. SEC said that many online trading platforms for cryptocurrencies should be registered with the regulator and subject to additional rules, in a further sign regulators are cracking down on the digital currency sector.

FAO: Now, c’mon, seriously, what did you think? Did you really think this could go differently? Looks like they are rushing into this. Why? Oh, more taxes, less hassle, among a gazillion other reasons. Institutional investors want in the game, ASAP. Want more reasons? I suggest you go and read our opinion on recent market volatility and what this could mean for the future of the “cryptoverse”. We first published it on Linkedin Pulse on Feb 13th, and you can also read it on Global Association of Risk Professionals’ website!

Future Stars?

Have an interesting project/company looking for more visibility? Why don’t you send us more details, and after our review your project might get listed it in this section! Contact us HERE!

The platform identifies the legal and regulatory requirements of investor’s country of residence and determine the volume to which the investor can participate in a given ICO. HELIX Orange analyzes national regulations regarding investor protection, anti-money laundering and taxation for that purpose.

The Financial Services Agency (FSA) criticized the exchanges for lacking the proper internal control systems, and ordered them to make improvement in areas from risk management to preventing the criminal use of digital money. The FSA rap on Thursday briefly drove down bitcoin prices.

FAO: Pretty pertinent improvements required. To avoid such embarrassing situations like the one below…

Coincheck plans to reimburse from next week investors who lost digital money in the late-January theft of $530 million, it said a statement. The exchange also said it plans to resume services for some cryptocurrencies from next week.

BitPeople

Around 21% of respondents in an annual survey of wealth advisers and private bankers said their clients increased investments in cryptocurrencies in 2017, according to the latest Wealth Report by Knight Frank.

Sweden’s land-ownership authority, the Lantmäteriet, is soon expected to conduct their first Blockchain technology property transaction after two years of testing, the Wall Street Journal reported. Lantmäteriet is currently shortlisting volunteers to participate in buying and selling property on its own Blockchain-based platform. Mats Snäll, Lantmäteriet’s chief digital officer, told the WSJ that “from the technology point of view, we are quite ready.”

FAO: Land registry on the blockchain in a country aiming to become a “cashless society”. The Swedes aim to become effectively “cashless” in five years – read more here, in FinTech Daily News.

Regulation

The CEO of widely-followed payment network Ripple has a request for everyone in the cryptocurrency industry: Cooperate with regulators.

“It’s incredibly important that the entire industry recognizes that we have to work with the regulators, we have to work with the system, ” Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said in an interview. “The blockchain revolution is happening from within the system it’s not going to happen from outside the system.” he also said.

Singapore’s central bank announced it is looking at ways to effectively regulate cryptocurrencies. Singapore is a fintech hub and does not currently regulate digital currencies. Ong Chong Tee, deputy managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore) said, “we are assessing if additional regulations are required for investor protection”.

Analysis

He’s not your typical Bitcoin whale, but Nobuaki Kobayashi has become a force to be reckoned with in the cryptocurrency world.The Tokyo attorney and bankruptcy trustee for the now-defunct Mt. Gox exchange disclosed that he sold about $400 million of Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash since late September. Kobayashi, who’s liquidating the tokens on behalf of Mt. Gox creditors, has another $1.9 billion to offload.

China has banned cryptocurrency trading and ICOs in late 2017 and reaffirmed its negative stance towards the market this year. Still, local developers are continuing to introduce innovative Blockchain projects on the global stage.

Opinion

People.cn, the official website of the People’s Daily, has launched a section dedicated to blockchain coverage, signalling Beijing’s official endorsement of the technology, even as a crackdown on digital currencies began in September. Stories related to blockchain as well as information on seminars and other industry-related events can be found under the site’s investment and start-up section.